2014 PRSA Membership Survey 1

Key Questions Asked

1. How have key membership metrics changed from 2008 and 2011?

2. How does the population segment in terms of engagement with PRSA? How do we create brand ambassadors from less engaged members?

3. What drives membership and defines the PRSA brand?

4. What services represent the best for growth? Which deliver less/declining value?

5. How, if at all, do Millennials differ?

6. What does this all mean for the PRSA Brand?

7. What is the role of the APR?

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Methodology • Ketchum Global Research and Analytics worked with Braun Research to complete online interviews with:

• 1,417 current members

• 174 lapsed members

• 193 never members

• Age segments referenced in the report are defined as follows:

• Millennials: born after 1976

• Gen X: born between 1965 and 1976

• Boomers: born before 1965

• E-mail distribution lists for both targets were provided by PRSA.

• To prevent non-response sample bias, data are weighted against the overall profile of the PRSA membership.

• Study results contain a margin of error of +/- 2.2% level for members, +/- 7.4% for lapsed members and +/- 7.0% for never members at the 95% confidence level.

• Unless otherwise stated, Top Three Box metrics (8 to 10 on a 0 to 10 scale) are reported.

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How Have Key Membership Metrics Changed?

Positive Shifts in All Key Metrics Top 3 Box 2008 2011 2014 Change 2011-2014

Total Respondents

Overall Impression of PRSA n/a 66% 70% +4

Understanding of what PRSA does n/a 72% 85% +13

Understanding of what PRSA National does n/a 57% 69% +12

Understanding of what PRSA Chapter does n/a 69% 82% +13

Understanding of what PRSA District does n/a 21% 30% +9

Understanding of what PRSA Professional Interest Section does n/a 41% 53% +12

Understanding of what PRSA Foundation does n/a n/a 23% n/a

Members

Satisfaction with membership 48% 56% 60% +4

Likelihood to recommend PRSA to a colleague 62% 65% 74% +9

Likelihood to renew 80% 79% 86% +7

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Key Respondent Changes Personal

Age Cohort 2011 2014

Millennials (ages 20-37) 27% 32%

Gen X (ages 38-49) 26% 38%

Boomers (ages 50+) 45% 29%

Professional

Tenure within PRSA 2011 2014

1 year or less 19% 6%

2-5 years 30% 18%

6-9 years 10% 16%

10-19 years 23% 32%

20+ years 18% 28%

Professional

Stage in PR Career 2011 2014

Just starting out 6% 3%

A few years into it 17% 14%

At the mid-point 27% 32%

At the top of my career 17% 20%

Looking for a mentor 15% 18%

A mentor to others 19% 31%

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To Put The Forecast Into Pictures

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Today 2020

To Plan for the Future: Six Questions

1. What Makes a Brand Ambassador?

2. What Drives Membership?

3. What Drives the PRSA Brand?

4. What Barriers Need to be Addressed?

5. What Do Millennials Care About?

6. What is the Role of APR?

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Segmenting Our Membership and Creating Brand Ambassadors

Knowledge of PRSA vs. Connection to PRSA

• About one-third of PRSA members are ambassadors, indicating both an above average emotional as well as intellectual connection to the organization.

• An equal proportion are skeptics, who have understanding of what the organization does but lack an emotional connection.

• Just one in ten are enthusiasts, they have an emotional connection to the organization but report a lower than average understanding of what the organization does.

31%

(n=554)

32%

(n=566)

8%

(n=139)

29%

(n=519)

Q4. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means "Do Not Understand" and 10 means "Completely Understand," how well do you understand what PRSA, in general does? n=1417

Q11. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means "Highly Unlikely" and 10 means "Highly Likely," how likely are you to recommend PRSA membership to a colleague? N=1417

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PRSA Brand Ambassadors: Tenured, Consultants, Value PRSA’s Initiatives to Build the PR Community

• PRSA ambassadors (32% of all members) tend to be tenured in terms of PRSA membership (10+ years) and in a professional consultant role.

Networking opportunities provided by PRSA likely serve as connecting points/business-generation for those in a freelance/consultant job positions, who may in turn gain greater value from PRSA’s events and services than other professional roles.

• Ambassadors value many of PRSA’s proprietary offerings (i.e. Code of Ethics, PRSA.org, APR) and are interested in attending networking and professional development events.

• Ambassadors express interest in a variety of personal development areas – from high-level strategic planning to social media to reputation management.

Q15. Please rate PRSA on the following items. Ambassadors n=566 Q19. How interested are you in each of the following professional development areas? Ambassadors n=566 Q18. Please indicate how valuable the following services and products offered by PRSA are to you or please indicate if you are not aware of the service or product. Ambassadors n=566

Most Likely to Believe About PRSA Professional Development Top Interests Products/Services Most Valued

1. Offers a guide to ethical practices 2. Industry leader 3. Trustworthy 4. Quality services provided to members

1. Strategic Planning 2. Measurement and Evaluation 3. Social Media 4. Crisis Communications 5. Reputation Management

1. Code of Ethics 2. PRSA.org 3. Networking provided by local

Chapters 4. Offers preferred member pricing for

professional development and other events

5. APR

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PRSA Enthusiasts: Mid-Career, Looking for In-Person Opportunities to Further Their Career

• PRSA enthusiasts (8% of all members) are less tenured than ambassadors and tend to say they are managers within their organizations.

• Enthusiasts most value in-person networking and personal development events, and are likely to find professional development programs provided by Chapters valuable.

• Unlike Ambassadors, some of Enthusiasts’ top interests revolve around integrated marketing communications and media relations.

Q15. Please rate PRSA on the following items. Enthusiasts n=139 Q18. Please indicate how valuable the following services and products offered by PRSA are to you or please indicate if you are not aware of the service or product. Enthusiasts n=139 Q19. How interested are you in each of the following professional development areas? Enthusiasts n=139

Most Likely to Believe About PRSA Professional Development Top Interests Products/Services Most Valued

1. Industry leader 2. Trustworthy 3. Offers a guide to ethical practices 4. Quality services provided to members

1. Social media 2. Strategic planning 3. Measurement and evaluation 4. Integrated Marketing Communications 5. Media Relations

1. Offers preferred member pricing for professional development and other

2. Networking provided by local Chapters 3. Professional development programs

provided by local Chapters 4. Webinars 5. www.prsa.org

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What Drives Membership and Defines the PRSA Brand?

Quality Services, Value and Ability to Inspire are Attributes Most Likely to Drive PRSA’s Reputation and Member Satisfaction

• Providing services most relevant and sought after by members could increase membership satisfaction and help drive brand reputation.

• In addition to concrete offerings (i.e. a guide to ethical practices, certification program), PRSA’s ability to inspire members through its various products/services and thought-leadership initiatives – which help build value and momentum for the industry by elevating the role of PR – also drive member satisfaction and brand reputation.

Satisfaction Reputation

1. Helpful 2. Offers guide to ethical practices 3. Boring 4. Responsive 5. Offers certification program 6. Sociable 7. Supportive

Quality services Offers good value

Inspiring

1. Respected 2. Develops/retains quality members 3. Admirable

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How Do Drivers Change for Ambassadors, Enthusiasts and Skeptics?

Quality services

Innovative

Offers good value

Ambassadors: Diversity of

membership

Skeptics:

Committed to the satisfaction of its

members, Trustworthy, Quality

of management

Enthusiasts:

Industry leader, Transparent

Develops and retains well-suited

members

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Inspiration & Innovation: Drivers of Member Satisfaction

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Predictors Of Satisfaction And Reputation

(In Order Of Contribution)

% of Members who Feel the Characteristic

Describes PRSA Well

Inspiring 34%

Helpful 58%

Responsive 50%

Sociable 47%

Supportive 52%

Respected 70%

Admirable 47%

Predictors of Satisfaction, Likelihood to Recommend/ Renew Importance Performance GAP

Quality services provided to members

97% 68% -29

Offers good value 94% 59% -35

Committed to the satisfaction of its members

95% 67% -28

Trustworthy 93% 74% -19

Industry leader 87% 73% -14

Innovative 87% 45% -42

Quality of management 83% 61% -22

Develops and retains well-suited members

85% 60% -25

• PRSA’s ability to inspire and innovate popped as key drivers of member satisfaction and reputation – yet members feel PRSA currently underperforms in these areas.

What are Barriers Among Lapsed and Non-Members?

Top Reasons Behind Lapsed Membership: Cost & Demands on Time

• Fees/costs of membership remain the most significant barrier to prospective members joining PRSA, but have dropped as a reason for lapsed membership, likely as a result of a stronger economy.

• Additional demands on time are an increasing barrier to membership – communication to prospective members should reinforce that participation in PRSA delivers value without requiring a significant time commitment.

• Strengthening the value of local chapters may help drive purchase decision among non-members, who are more likely in 2014 than in 2011 to cite “local Chapters not providing services that meet needs” as a reason behind not joining PRSA.

LAPSED MEMBERS 2011 2014

Fees cost too much 52% 41% -11

Not enough time to participate in activities 22% 34% +12

Work will not cover membership expenses 43% 30% -13

PRSA P.D. fees (seminars, webinars, conferences) cost too much

34% 28% -6

Local Chapter does not offer networking opportunities that meet their needs

16% 16% 0

Local Chapter does not offer P.D. opportunities that meet their needs

18% 16% -2

NON-MEMBERS 2011 2014

Fees cost too much 53% 54% +1

Work will not cover membership expenses 43% 41% -2

PRSA P.D. fees (seminars, webinars, conferences) cost too much

34% 36% +2

Not enough time to participate in activities 24% 26% +2

I am currently involved in another professional organization that is related to my industry or area of specialization

16% 16% 0

Local Chapter does not offer P.D. opportunities that meet their needs

8% 13% +5

What could PRSA offer that would make you want to join? Lapsed Members Non-Members

Lower dues 54% 64%

Employer will pay dues 39% 41%

Career development 36% 38%

Local events 29% 24%

Q31/32. What are the top reasons that you let your PRSA membership lapse? Lapsed n=174, Non-Members n=192 Q33. What are the top three things PRSA could offer that would make you want to join? Lapsed Members n=174, Non-Members n=192 18

How, if at all, do Millennials Differ?

Summary: Differences Among Millennials

1. Which attributes of PRSA drive membership satisfaction and brand reputation among Millennials?

2. How does PRSA perform on the attributes most likely to drive satisfaction and brand reputation among Millennials?

3. Which professional development areas and products/services appeal most to Millennials?

Millennials hold membership organizations to a set of ideals – expecting intangible elements like integrity, responsiveness, helpfulness and support, more so than older generations.

Millennials are less likely to place importance on a professional certification program, and potentially as a result, are less likely than older groups to say PRSA performs well in this area.

Millennials find PRSA networking events extremely valuable – using PRSA as an avenue for meeting potential employers, people in their region, in their work category, etc.

While Millennials, like older employees, express interest in educational programs on emerging practices within PR, they are more likely to look for more “traditional” guidance from PRSA, such as in pitching media, event coordination, etc.

Overall, Millennials engage with far fewer PRSA products/services than older generations.

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What is the Role of the APR?

Summary: Role of the APR

1. How familiar are respondents with the APR, and what is its perceived value?

2. What is the APR’s impact on furthering involvement in PRSA?

3. What should be required of members serving on PRSA’s Board of Directors?

Awareness of the APR is high – 96% among all respondents (98% among members, 94% among lapsed and 84% among non-members).

APR is seen as a sign of personal accomplishment but not one that is necessary to professional success and advancement and as such, should be positioned this way.

Less than half (44%) see it as “Very important” to serving on the board and a equal proportion (46%) think it should be a Board requirement. The most important quality for serving on the Board is prior leadership experience in PRSA, such as serving as a Chapter or Section chair.

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Previous PRSA Leadership Most Critical Requirement of Board Membership

• Leadership experience within PRSA is viewed as more important than having APR certification for board membership requirement.

• Leadership within a(n) company/external organization appears to be less important to board membership than experience within PRSA.

• Less than half of members find APR as “very important” to board membership; the same is true for around one-quarter of lapsed and non-members.

• Around one-fifth of members and one-third of lapsed and non-members believe it is not important at all.

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So, In Summary….

Key Questions Addressed 1. How have key membership metrics changed from 2008 and 2011? Metrics are

at all time highs.

2. How does the population segment in terms of engagement with PRSA? How do we create brand ambassadors from less engaged members? About a third are Brand Ambassadors. Need focus on IMC, social media, strategic planning to boost ranks.

3. What drives membership and defines the PRSA brand? Quality of services. An inspiring and innovative organization that is trustworthy and transparent.

4. What services represent the best for growth? IMC, data and analytics, measurement, social media, C-level understanding.

5. How, if at all, do Millennials differ? More of a focus on their own personal and professional development. APR less relevant. A focus on the ideals of the organization.

6. What does this all mean for the PRSA Brand? It needs to change as its members are changing.

7. What is the role of the APR? Sign of personal achievement. Not broadly relevant and not a key qualification for Board membership.

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